Door-latch.



i broken plan view of the same.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

GEORGE T. UDDLE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-LATCH.

which it may be desired to effect connection.

The invent-ion has for its object to provide for the ready and automatic retention of the door in locked or effective position.

A further object is to effect the ready and expeditious release of the latch in unlatching or opening the door or closure.

A still further object is to carry out these ends in a simple, inexpensive and effective manner.

The invention consists of certain instru-A ,mentalitles and yfeatures substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the claims.Y 1 p In the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, wherein it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of my invention, with the same in locked or effective position. Fig. 2 is a Fig. 3 is a detached perspective of the staple or keeper member including the trip. i

In putting my inventioninto practice, I provide a suitable bracket or base plate 1 which may be secured to a door-casing or frame 2 or other structure Vwhere required, and upon this base or bracket is suitably fulcrumed a lever or the latch-member 3. The latch-member 3 is preferably of the general out-line or contour, as disclosed, especially by Fig. 1, the same having preferably inner and tubular portions or eyes' 4 as a preferable means for receiving pivots or pintles 5 suitably received in apertures 6 in upturned or fiange-forming portions 7 of the basemember 1, these however, being matters which may be substituted by other equivalent structure, which will provide for suitably pivoting the latch in position. The latch-member 3 has a tongue-like portion or extension 3a preferably somewhat arcuate in outline in order to exert endwise or longitudinal pressure or stress at that point, as engagement Specification of Letters Patent.

Application ,med July 19, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

serial No. 639,458. A

is effected between the latch member and keeper or staple member and the door or closure reaches its k,finally closed position. The latch-member 3 is held under the stress or tension act-ion of a resilient member, preferably a helical spring 8, suitably connected at its ends to a preferably upturned edgeportion of one end of the base-plate 1 and from aline intersecting said pivotal points y for obvious reasons.

The lever or latch member 3,`initially occupies the position indicated in dotted lines 9 as per Fig. 2 when it will of course still be subjectto t-he tension or stress of the spring 8, and whereby it may be readily engaged for tripping into its effective o1' locking position, as will presently appear.

A keeper or staple memberlO, suitably positioned upon the door 11, (or upon other structure) for coaction with the latch-member, is equipped with a preferably transverse member or bar 12 having a central laterally deflected offset or nose 12a adapted to effect engagement with the tongue 3a of the latch 3 when the latter is in the dotted closed position, or being shut;

The member or latch 3 is adapted to be held in-adjusted position by means of an adjust-ing member, or stop 13, which may be an ordinary screw, or an angularly headed screw-threaded bolt, as disclosed particularly by Fig. 1, for suitably moving or adjusting the lever or latch into alinement with the engaging end 12a of the trip 12 for effective engagement therebetween.

It will be observed that, -in moving the door or closure to closedposition, the oset or deflected end ofthe trip 12k will engage the lever or latch 3, at its tip-end 3a, the latter, as before indicated, being then in its vinitial or dotted line position. The looped end of the staple or keeper 10 will immediately after the contact of the trip 12 with the tip-end 3a of the lever or latch 3, receive the latter and allow the latch or lever to be forced into its full-lined position under the action or tension of the spring 8, which will have the'effect, not only of actuating said lever, as indicated, but to deliver the stress or action of the spring for effectively clos A ing, or pulling the door or closure to closed position, as is apparent.

It Will be noted that, as the latch is manually actuated, in etiecting the unlocking operation, it Will be moved into position to be suitably engaged by the trip 12 of the keeper as the closure or door is again moved to closed position, in again effecting the locking operation, as Will be readily seen.

It is thought that the advantages and benefits of my invention have been made clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure taken in connection with the illustration or drawing, it being necessary, however, to simply emphasize the fact of silnplicity thereof, it embracing but few parts,`

therefore is inexpensive of manufacture, While it is adapted to be readily applied to use and is eifective in action for its intended purpose.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described, including a keeper, a trip comprising a transverse member secured to said keeper and having an offset or lip deflected laterally, and a latch pivotally mounted in position and having a tongue of arcuate outline adapted to be received by said keeper, and a resilient member adapted to deliver its stress or tension for the retention of said latch in eect-ive position in connect-ion with said keeper.

2. A device of the character described including a pivotally mounted latch having a tongue-extension, a spring for the retention of said latch in effective position, a keeper having a trip having an offset or lip adapted to dispose said latch in position to be received by said keeper, and an adjusting member for engagement with said latch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEORGE T. BUDDLE.

Witnesses MARK FEENEY, LoME H. WEBSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

